Energy Drinks Can Jack Up Blood Pressure, Even in Young Adults

Mayo Clinic researchers say consumption of a commercially available energy drink can lead to a significant increase in resting blood pressure, raising the concern that energy drinks may increase the risk of cardiac events.

Results of the study were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.

In this study, researchers alternately gave a can of a commercially available energy drink or a placebo drink to 25 healthy young adults, age 19 to 40, and assessed changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded before and 30 minutes after energy drink/placebo drink consumption, and were also compared between caffeine-naïve participants (those consuming less than 160 mg of caffeine per day, the amount frequently found in a cup of coffee) and regular caffeine users (those consuming more than 160 mg of caffeine per day).

Participants experienced a marked rise in blood pressure after consuming the energy drink as compared to the placebo.

Overall, the blood pressure increase was more than doubled in caffeine-naïve adults after consuming the energy drink vs. placebo, they found.

“We know that energy drink consumption is widespread and rising among young people. Concerns about the health safety of energy drinks have been raised. We and others have previously shown that energy drinks increase blood pressure,” said lead author Anna Svatikova, M.D., Ph.D.

“Now we are seeing that for those not used to caffeine, the concern may be even greater. Consumers should use caution when using energy drinks because they may increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, even among young people.”

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About Rick Nauert PhD

Dr. Rick Nauert has over 25 years experience in clinical, administrative and academic healthcare. He is currently an associate professor for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals doctoral program in health promotion and wellness. Dr. Nauert began his career as a clinical physical therapist and served as a regional manager for a publicly traded multidisciplinary rehabilitation agency for 12 years. He has masters degrees in health-fitness management and healthcare administration and a doctoral degree from The University of Texas at Austin focused on health care informatics, health administration, health education and health policy. His research efforts included the area of telehealth with a specialty in disease management.